Too Good To Last
by amy.werner.794
Summary: It is September 1987 and Amanda King finds herself overwhelmed by all the different directions she is being pulled in. Will her relationship with Lee suffer as a result? Scarecrow and Mrs King is the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. This story was written for enjoyment purposes only.
1. Chapter 1

Too Good To Last

Lee and Amanda arrived at his apartment late on a sunny September afternoon. They had been out since before sunrise.

Their current case started six frustratingly long days earlier. It seemed that no matter how many hours they worked they were no

closer to finding the missing diary that Billy had tasked them with finding.

Lee was covered from head to toe in mud. He sighed deeply and shook his head. " Let me just grab a quick shower and then we can head out. " Amanda kissed him lightly and sat down on the couch to wait while he showered. _It sure feels good to sit down…I didn't realize how exhausted I am. We've done nothing but work for almost a week . At least we have been able to spend plenty of time alone. We really haven't been alone together for such long blocks of time since we got married._ Amanda's eyes slowly drifted closed as she thought about all the different directions they had been pulled in since they came back from California.

When he was done with his shower and dressed in clean casual clothes Lee returned to the living room . He smiled at the sight of his wife napping on his couch. _I hate to wake her but if I don't we're going to miss another dinner with the family. I haven't seen the boys and Dotty in over a week. It's been less then a year that I've been spending time with them and now they're treating me like I'm part of the family._ " Amanda" he whispered as he gently stroked her arm. Amanda blinked her eyes and smiled up at him.

"Let's get going so that we don't miss it again." Lee said while reaching out his hand to pull Amanda to her feet.

" Hey , slow down . What are you afraid of missing again ?" Amanda asked.

"Dinner with the family. Joe must have dropped the boys off by now. If we leave right now we can help your mother make dinner."

Amanda stopped right where she was standing despite Lee's attempt to pull her towards the door. "It's been such a long weekend. You must be beat…I know I am. We should call it a day. You should stay here and get some rest. It's a school night so I'd like to get the boys settled down early. I'm going to turn in early too. I have an early class in the morning then we have to get back to work on this case."

Lee was so surprised by Amanda's determination to leave alone that he didn't know what to say. When he didn't say anything Amanda kissed him , said " I love you." , and rushed out the door. _What the hell was that about? Just this morning she said she was so happy that we were spending so much time together._


	2. Chapter 2

Too Good To Last , Chapter 2

Amanda arrived at the Q Bureau and unloaded an armload of

books and notes onto her desk. She glanced at the clock on the

wall . It wasn't even 7:30 yet . Even though she was a morning

person she rarely got to work this early. This morning she'd left

the house without breakfast . She just couldn't answer anymore

of her mother's questions about why Lee hadn't been to the house

all week.

The boys were disappointed too. Although they'd been

making it obvious to her that they weren't interested in spending as

much time with her as they used to they were increasingly seeking

out Lee. She simply couldn't risk making Lee feel trapped by too

much family time. _They were so hurt by Joe's leaving . I failed to_

 _give Joe the kind of life he wanted . When the boys realized he_

 _preferred his life in Africa to the life he'd had with us it broke their_

 _hearts. I can't risk making Lee feel trapped._

Amanda took a deep breath , determined to put her depressing

thoughts aside . She needed to complete the report that Billy

would expect on what she and Lee had accomplished over the

weekend. If she worked fast enough she could complete the report

before Lee arrived . _He looked so hurt and confused when I_

 _rushed out of his apartment last night. I know him. This morning_

 _he'll want to know what's bothering me and I can't tell him. I'll_

 _just turn in the report and head to my class. Later we'll be busy_

 _with the case and I can avoid his questions._

Amanda arrived in the bullpen to turn in the report but Billy's

office was empty. _I'll just go in and leave this on his desk ._ She

placed the report on his desk and turned to leave only to come face

to face with Francine.

" Well, well it looks as though you and Scarecrow have both given

up sleep." Francine stated with an arched eyebrow.

"W what are you talking about? " Amanda stammered .

"Lee was in here at 7AM to turn in his report . Lee never shows up that early and certainly doesn't do his own paperwork. Besides

that he looked like he hadn't slept a wink. And you , you're not

your usual perky self this morning. So tell me what's up? "

"There's nothing up. The weekend was very unproductive . We're

tired and stressed out. You know how Lee gets when a case isn't

going well. Excuse me , I'm late for class."

Amanda rushed off leaving Francine totally unconvinced that the

uncharacteristic behavior that she had just witnessed from her two

coworkers could be so simply explained away. _Trouble in paradise_

she mused to herself.

Amanda bolted from the bullpen without even bothering to say

good morning to the coworkers who were accustomed to her

always friendly nature. She reached the elevator and as she waited

for its arrival she chewed on her lower lip. I've avoided my family,

Lee and even managed to escape from Francine but this day has

only just started. Now, I have to go deal with Beaman she fretted as

she jabbed at the elevator button yet again. _Why does he still see_

 _me as "Scarecrow's little housewife" who needs to be put in her_

 _place? All I want is to prove that I'm as worthy of being an agent_

 _as any of the other candidates._ Amanda boarded the elevator ,

shaking her head, and wondering what else this day had in store for

her.


	3. Chapter 3

Too Good To Last, chapter three

Lee dragged himself wearily through the Agency's Georgetown

Foyer for the third time on this already too long Monday. He was

determined to go straight to the Q Bureau so that he could find out

what was bothering Amanda. _It's just not like her to not want to_

 _talk things out. We're tired and our caseload and Amanda's_

 _classes don't leave us much time for family . Why is she pushing_

 _me away when all I want is to spend what little time we do have_

with our family.

Lee's thoughts were interrupted by Mrs Marston's calling his

name rather loudly.

"Mr Stetson I have a message for you from Mrs King." she stated blandly.

Lee reached his hand out for the message but Mrs Marston just sat

there looking at him. " May I have the note she left for me ? " he

asked as civilly as he could manage.

" The message Mrs King left is verbal not written. She asked that I

let you know that her class will be on exercises outside of the

building for the rest of the day. She'll see you in the morning"

 _Great , just great . Now she's avoiding me professionally too._

" Thanks for the message. I'll be in the Q if Billy is looking for

me" Lee stated as he trudged to the stairs leading to his office.

As soon as he entered the office the phone began to ring. _What_

 _now? Can't I catch a break today?_ He picked up the receiver and

snarled " Stetson . What do you want? "

" Lee ? It's me Jamie . I'm sorry to bother you…."

" Ahh Jamie, you're not bothering me . It's just been a bad day.

I'm sorry but your mom isn't in right now . Is everything okay? "

Lee could hear Jamie sigh but he didn't answer him.

" Jamie, talk to me , is something wrong? " Lee asked anxiously.

" No, I'm okay . You just haven't been around lately and we

were sure you'd come by last night . Then you didn't come and

Mom said we shouldn't count on you being around all the time.

I'm sorry if I 've been bothering you lately . It's just that, well, I

can talk to you about stuff that I can't talk to Mom and Grandma

about. And Dad , he just doesn't listen like you do."

When Jamie finally stopped to take a breath Lee jumped in .

" Jamie, you are absolutely NOT bothering me. You can talk to

me anytime . I 've missed you guys and your grandma . How

about if I come by for dinner tonight? "

" That'd be great . I'll tell Grandma you're coming . See ya later, Lee. "

Jamie hung up before Lee could say anything else. _Amanda, you are going to talk to me tonight . I won't let the boys be hurt by_

 _whatever is wrong between us._


	4. Chapter 4

Too Good To Last , chapter 4 

Amanda pulled her car into the driveway, turned off the motor, and

leaned her head back against the headrest. Gosh, it's good to be 

home in time to help Mother fix dinner. I know she had another

flying lesson today…I'm sure she'll want to tell us all about it.

And the boys are only two weeks into the new school year and I

haven't had time to get a sense of how they're settling in.

As she got out of the car she saw Lee pull up and park the

Corvette. Lee got out of the car and walked briskly towards 

Amanda with an unreadable expression on his face. Something

must be wrong at the Agency, Amanda assumed as she rushed to

greet Lee .

" Is something wrong at work? Do we need to go back in ? " Amanda asked as she wrung her hands nervously.

" Nope. We're definitely off duty. I missed you today. " Lee responded while gently stroking her cheek with his left hand.

" If nothing is wrong , what are you here for? " Amanda asked as she took a step back from Lee."

"I'm here for dinner. " he stated . She's still pushing me away he thought to himself .

"Dinner ?" Amanda questioned with a troubled look on her face.

"Jamie invited me ." Lee responded while trying to close the physical distance Amanda had put between them.

" You called Jamie? " Amanda asked in an accusing voice. 

" No, he called ME ." Lee stated with his voice rising in irritation. 

" He said you told the boys not to get used to me being around.

Why did you say that?" he asked as he raked his hand through his

hair.

Amanda looked at him sadly and looked down before responding 

to him. " To make sure that they aren't hurt again. Family is very important to them…they were hurt once . Joe's back and he is

trying to reconnect with them but they still have some rocky moments."

" I'm not Joe. I'd never turn my back on them or you. You do

know that don't you? " Lee asked while trying to raise her chin so that she'd look at him.

" I know that you wouldn't plan to but …you just don't understand  
what it was like for them to have to live without their father." Amanda blurted out.

"The hell I don't ! ." Lee shouted at her with a mix of pain and anger in his voice.

"Amanda, Lee . " Dotty shouted as she strode out the front door towards them. "What is going on out here? We could hear your shouting all the way in the house. "

" I'm sorry ,Dotty . I have to go. Please tell Jamie I really did want to stay but I just can't. " Lee rushed off before Dotty could say a word.

" Oh , Mother . What have I done ? I've hurt Lee when all I wanted was to protect the boys. " Amanda said while choking back tears.

" Wait just one minute missy. You were also trying to protect yourself and don't try to deny it." Dotty stated. Her displeasure with her daughter's recent behavior was obvious on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Too Good To Last , chapter 5

Amanda wiped at the lone tear that was streaking down her cheek. I will not cry…especially in front of Mother.

" Of course it's the boys that I'm trying to protect. Lee would never hurt me. " Amanda said in response to Dotty's assertion that Amanda was afraid of being hurt by Lee. " I can't stand here and discuss this with you, Mother. I have to go after Lee." Amanda insisted and turned to go to her car.

"Going after Lee right now is the worst thing you could do." Dotty stated firmly as she grabbed Amanda's arm to prevent her from walking away.

" I have to explain to him why I said the things that I said to him. I need to make Lee understand why I have to protect my family. Lee wouldn't hurt the boys intentionally but he hasn't had a truly normal family life in over thirty years. What if he decides he isn't ready for that kind of commitment?" Amanda hung her head and gently fingered the chain around her neck that held her wedding set hidden under her blouse.

Dotty shook her head vigorously. " A few months ago I might have agreed with your concerns but now I'm certain that you are wrong. When you first started having Lee over to the house you insisted your relationship wasn't serious. Lee was clearly uncomfortable around the boys and me . He did his best to charm me and connect with the boys but-"

"Mother, you aren't being fair to Lee." Amanda interrupted indignantly.

"I'm not being fair to Lee ?" Dotty questioned , placing her hands on her hips. "I've been listening to what you've been saying and not saying for quite some time now. Now it's your turn to listen to me. I love you and I love my grandsons. "

"I know you do, Mother. There are just things that you don't understand about Lee. About his past." Amanda argued.

"You told us about his childhood. Told us to never ask him about his family and we respected that." Dotty said wistfully.

"Lee isn't comfortable talking about his childhood. I wanted to protect him from the onslaught of questions you all would have asked him."

"That made sense for a time . Lee needed to get to know us and we needed to get to know him. Since he has been spending so much time with us we've had the chance to really get to know each other. Lee took the time and made the effort to get close to the boys. Even when Jamie made it so difficult for him."

" Jamie is just a little boy. " , Amanda said plaintively.

"No, Amanda. Jamie and Phillip are not little boys anymore. They are growing up whether you are ready to accept that or not." Dotty shook her head and continued, "You think that they've been rejecting you. They aren't. They just don't need you in the same ways that they used to. It hurts when a child pulls away from a mother no matter how old the child is," Dotty stated the hurt evident in her voice.

"Oh, Mother. I never meant to hurt you. My life has gotten so complicated. I love you, I want to talk to you, I just don't know where to start." Amanda said as tears began to slide down her face again. _I really do want to talk to Mother. But how much can I really tell her?_


	6. Chapter 6

Too Good To Last, chapter 6

Amanda and Dotty hugged briefly. Dotty led Amanda towards the front door saying, "Let's take this conversation into the house. We've given the neighbors enough of a show for one day." As upset as Amanda was, she couldn't help but laugh at her mother's comment.

Phillip and Jamie were ready to pounce as Dotty walked into the house followed at a distance by Amanda .

"Grandma, can we start right now ? " asked Phillip excitedly.

"Tonight isn't a good night. I need you boys to go upstairs and work on your homework." Dotty said firmly. Phillip was about to argue when Jamie nodded his head in their mother's direction. " We'll call you when dinner is ready." Dotty continued. Both boys headed to the stairs without comment.

Amanda followed Dotty into the kitchen. " What did Phillip want to do right now?" Amanda questioned.

"He wanted to help make dinner."

"Phillip wanted to help make dinner?" Amanda asked incredulously.

" Yes, dear. Phillip has concluded that cooking can be a 'guy thing'. " Dotty responded.

"Since when?"

" Since Lee pointed out that if a guy likes to eat it helps to know how to cook. He sealed the deal when he mentioned that girls are impressed by guys who can cook."

"That I can believe." Amanda couldn't help chuckling. "Let's make something simple for dinner. It's getting late and I want to go see Lee after dinner."

"You will do no such thing! Weren't you listening to me ? You need to sort out your own feelings before you can explain them to Lee. You haven't done that yet. Besides , Lee was very upset when he left. He needs time to work through his feelings also."

"Mother, you don't know Lee as well as I do." Amanda interrupted.

"I know him better than you think. He is a lot like Jamie. They both feel things deeply but aren't always comfortable expressing those feelings. I think that is why they have gotten so close once they let down their guards with each other. Lee is already part of this family even if you aren't ready to make it official."

"It isn't that I'm not ready. I was so ready the first time I got married and look how that turned out." The reluctance to risk being hurt that deeply again was clear on her face.

"You aren't the woman you were back then. More importantly, Lee isn't Joe. Joe is a good man but he takes family for granted. Lee sees family as a gift that he isn't sure he is worthy of. You need to believe in yourself and in Lee and the love you obviously share."

"I want to believe but I'm so scared and confused." Amanda whispered. "How can I explain my feelings to Lee when I'm so mixed up myself?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. You need to work through your own feelings before you talk to Lee. And we need to get dinner ready before those boys of yours accuse us of starving them."


	7. Chapter 7

Too Good To Last, chapter 7

Early the next morning Amanda pulled her car to the curb across the street from Lee's apartment building. She couldn't help noticing that the Corvette wasn't parked in its customary spot . Amanda chewed her lip nervously. _What if something's happened to him? I should have gone after him last night. Calm down. He probably couldn't sleep any better than I could and went to work early,_ Amanda reasoned with herself. _The sooner I complete my assignment from Beaman the sooner I can get back to my case with Lee._ Amanda pulled her car back into the increasing Georgetown traffic.

Several hours later Lee arrived in the bullpen . He hadn't been able to sleep the night before either. In an attempt to keep himself from dwelling on his fight with Amanda , Lee had thrown himself into rethinking their latest case. Lee was convinced that he had come up with a new direction to explore. He'd spent the past two hours searching for proof that his new plan of action would pay off. Lee was ready to convince Billy that he and Amanda would have the missing diary secured by the end of the day. _If everything goes as planned ,_ he thought to himself. As he got closer to Billy's office Lee could see Fred Fielder standing in front of Billy's desk. _What is Fielder doing in there?_ , Lee wondered . Lee went to help himself to a cup of coffee while he waited to speak to Billy.

As Lee was adding the cream to his coffee, Francine entered the bullpen and approached him from behind.

" Where have you been ? I swear every nut in DC is out this morning. The inter-agency teletype machine hasn't stopped…one crisis after another. " Francine waved a handful of computer printouts in Lee's face to emphasize her point. " This latest one is about a hostage situation at the Smithsonian."

The color drained from Lee's face and he grabbed the papers from Francine's hand. Lee quickly scanned the papers and then shoved them back at Francine. He said, "Not again!" , more to himself than to Francine and ran from the bullpen.


	8. Chapter 8

Too Good To Last, chapter 8

Francine stood in the center of the bullpen with a shocked expression on her face. She couldn't figure out what had caused Lee to react so strangely to the news of a hostage situation at the Smithsonian. As a friend ,she wanted to go after Lee but she knew that she needed to stay put and help Billy to coordinate the Agency's response to the day's events. Before Francine could give the situation anymore thought Billy stuck his head out of his office and shouted, "Francine, come in here and bring Scarecrow with you."

Francine slowly entered Billy's office and stood silently before his desk. Billy , taking in Francine's unusually tense demeanor, asked "Where's Scarecrow?"

"He's …he's not here at the moment" , Francine stalled. _Why do I always have to be the one to tell Billy when Lee does something crazy?_

" I can see that. I saw him through my office window during the very long half hour I spent listening to Fred Fielder trying to convince me to allow him to spend more time in the field. I'm not in the mood to play word games with you. Where is Lee?

" I think he's on his way to the Smithsonian. An alert just crossed the teletype about a hostage situation there. I mentioned it to Lee, he grabbed the report from me , read it and then bolted. You should have seen the look on his face."

"Did he say anything before he 'bolted' ?" Billy questioned.

" It was very strange. He said, "Not again", but I don't think he was even talking to me." Francine shook her head, clearly still unnerved by Lee's strange behavior.

Before their conversation could continue Amanda rushed into Billy's office without stopping to knock on the door.

" I just got a phone call from my mother. It's all over the news. This is just terrible. Mother wanted me to come right home but I can do more here. What are we going to do about this? I have to be on the team." Amanda looked as though she were keeping it together by sheer force of will alone.

Billy came out from behind his desk. "Amanda , please sit down. I can see that you're upset but I don't know what you're talking about."

" Sir, there is a hostage situation at the Smithsonian. We have to get right over there." , Amanda stated in a slightly calmer voice.

" Francine was just mentioning the situation to me but at this point it is a DC Metro matter unless they ask us for help."

" Sir, we just have to be involved. Jamie is there on a school field trip. His class is in the building where the hostages were taken." Upon hearing that, Billy and Francine both knew why Lee reacted the way he did to the news. Billy put his hand on Amanda's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

" Amanda, I'm sorry but we can't do anything officially. I'll take you over there and we'll see what we can find out. Francine, stay here and use our contacts to see what exactly is going on down there. If Lee calls in tell him not do anything crazy. I'll call you from the scene as soon as I find out anything."

" Where is Lee, Sir?"

" We think he's gone to the Smithsonian."

" But why would he do that if the Agency has no jurisdiction?"

" Since Jamie is involved I doubt that he was worried about jurisdictional issues" , Billy responded wryly.

" We've been so busy lately. I'd forgotten about the field trip. How could Lee have known about it?" _Mother was right. Lee and Jamie are much closer than I realized. How could I have not seen that Lee had already become part of the family? It really is what he wants …why do I keep pushing him away?_

" I don't know how Lee knew but I'm pretty sure that is why he rushed over there. Let's go see what we can find out." Billy grabbed the gun from his desk drawer and led Amanda from his office.

Billy wove his car through the heavy midday DC traffic with an eerily quiet Amanda beside him. _They know I support their relationship . Lee's been spending more time around her family but I didn't realize that Lee had gotten so close to her boys. It shouldn't be a surprise to Amanda yet it seems to be. I have to get her to focus on what we need to do next before she shuts down completely._ Billy was pulled from his troubling thoughts as traffic slowed to a halt as he neared the Smithsonian complex on the Washington Mall. There were law enforcement personnel everywhere he looked. He could see numerous barricades holding back tourists, DC workers and members of the news media all straining for a view of the situation.

"Amanda, we need to park here and walk the rest of the way." ,Billy quietly advised Amanda. She didn't respond to his voice, she merely stared out the car's windshield. Billy tried again in a more commanding voice. " Amanda, we need to focus on finding Lee before he causes an incident with the boys from Metro."

" Yes, Sir. There are people all over the place. How will we find Lee if we don't ask someone in charge if they've seen him?, Amanda asked as she began to pull herself together.  
" We'll flash our badges and offer them the Agency's assistance. If they've been dealing with our Scarecrow they will let us know it . If they don't know he is here then I don't plan to tell them before we can get a better idea of exactly what is going on in there."

" I understand. Can we let them know that Jamie is in there with his class? I just have to know what they know about the children." , Amanda pleaded.

"Certainly, Amanda, I know you're worried him. Let me do the talking and try not to panic. I doubt that whoever is in there really wants to hurt children." Billy pointed to a large table set up down the street. It appeared to be a hastily setup command center. " We'll start there. Remember, don't mention Lee if they don't."

Billy approached the table with Amanda trailing behind him with a grim look on her face. He flashed his badge and Amanda followed his lead and did the same.

"I'm William Melrose, Section Chief from The Agency. This is Agent King. We'd like to officially offer Agency assistance. On a more personal note, Mrs King's son is one of the students inside. What is the latest on what is happening in there ?"

"I'm Daniel Connors. This is my crime scene and I intend to keep it that way. I can understand that your agent is worried about her son but in this situation she is just one more concerned parent. I'm sorry, I need to end this standoff peacefully, and I can't do that if I stop to talk to every upset mother."

" Mrs King is not just a worried mother she is a fully trained agent. We are simply asking for some inter-agency courtesy here. ", Billy argued. _This man can't possibly be a parent himself. The good news is that if he'd tangled with Scarecrow he would have just given me an earful._ Their conversation was interrupted by a uniformed officer who needed the captain's attention immediately. The captain and the officer walked several feet away and had a brief conversation. The officer walked back towards the building and Captain Connors walked back past Billy and right up to Amanda.

" Are you Amanda King ? Do you have a son named Jamie?" he asked with an unreadable expression on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Too Good To Last, chapter 9

Billy feared the worst and moved closer to Amanda to offer what comfort he could as Captain Conner rephrased his question.

"Are you Jamie King's mother?"

"Y yes , I am. Oh my gosh, what's happened to him?" Amanda asked with a look of pure dread in her eyes.

" He escaped." responded Captain Connor.

" Escaped?" Amanda and Billy asked at the same time.

Amanda took a deep breath and then asked, "Where is he? When can I see him?"

"He's being detained." responded Captain Connor coldly.

Billy's relief turned to anger and he turned on the captain. " Detained! You're detaining an eleven year old."

" He is refusing to cooperate with my men. He insists that he won't answer any questions until he has talked to his mother."

" He must be frightened. Please let me talk to him. I'm sure I can get him to answer your questions.", Amanda pleaded.

" Mom, Mom " Amanda heard Jamie call from behind her. She turned around and saw Jamie being led towards her by a uniformed

police officer. Amanda ran to him and threw her arms around him. For the first time in quite a while Jamie didn't resist a public hug

from his mother. He slowly backed up and handed Amanda a scrap of paper that he'd hidden in his pocket. "Lee said that I should

give this to you but I shouldn't read it. I didn't want to leave without him but he insisted. He told me peoples' lives depended on my

delivering this message. He told me how to get out through a hidden vent. Lee said that I could fit but he couldn't so I had to go

alone." Jamie paused and shook his head sadly and then continued. "I'm not dumb. I knew Lee was lying to me to get me out of

there safely. He must have come in that way so he could have gotten out the same way. I wasn't going to go but Lee said, "

Sometimes when you really love someone you just have to do what they ask without arguing."

Captain Connor's patience ran out and he interrupted Jamie's conversation with Amanda.

" I've waited long enough for answers. I want to see that note now and I want to know who Lee is?"

Billy couldn't let all of Amanda and Lee's secrets be revealed to Jamie so he intervened. " Amanda, please take Jamie over to that street vendor and get him a soda and maybe a hot dog." Before Amanda could move Captain Connor stepped in her path.

"My witness isn't going anywhere until my questions are answered."

Billy drew himself up to his full height and addressed Captain Connor.  
"You will allow Mrs King to get a snack for her son and one of your officers. We need to have a talk right now. Amanda , go ."

As soon as Amanda and Jamie were out of earshot Billy turned and spoke to Captain Connor in a more conciliatory voice. " We're both on the same side you know. Let's try to work with each other. Jamie doesn't know what his mother does for a living. For his safety and the safety of the rest of her family we'd like to keep her profession a secret."

" I'm willing to work with you if I get some answers. I want to see the note the boy passed to your agent. And more importantly, I want to know who this "Lee" is, and I won't be put off any longer. Do we have a deal?"


	10. Chapter 10

Too Good To Last , chapter 10

Billy had always thought of himself as a people person. He prided himself on being able to deal effectively with all kinds of people. _I've managed to keep Scarecrow from getting himself or anyone else killed for years. Sure, I go through an inordinate amount of antacids but I can live with that. I hate to give in to this man's ultimatum but I can't live with having Amanda's secret life exposed._ Just as Billy was going to agree to Connor's terms they were interrupted by a uniformed officer who asked to speak privately to his boss. The two men stepped away and Billy turned to see Amanda and Jamie still waiting in line at the hot dog vendor's cart.

Amanda was standing with one arm around Jamie's shoulders. She was so relieved that he was safe but she couldn't help worrying about Lee. _I was so awful to Lee and what does he do? He runs off all alone to rescue my son and then stays behind to protect the children of complete strangers. I can't lose him now. Mother's right…he is part of the family already._ Amanda's thoughts were interrupted by Jamie's voice.

"Mom, the man wants to know what you want to order."

Amanda ruffled Jamie's hair and responded, " What would you like on your hot dog?"

"I'm not hungry. I can't eat until I know that Lee is safe. I'd just like a Coke…I'm really thirsty.

"Are you sure about the hot dog? You really should eat something." Amanda urged.

"No , not now. I 'm just too worried to eat." Jamie answered dejectedly.

The police officer that was guarding them cleared his throat to get Amanda's attention. Amanda turned around to see what he wanted.

"Excuse me, I am hungry. I'll take the hot dog if the boy doesn't want it.

An exasperated Amanda rolled her eyes at the officer. " Just tell the man what you'd like on it. Are you thirsty too?" she asked in a tone that barely hid her irritation with him and his unsympathetic superior.

As Billy stood watching Amanda and Jamie, his thoughts were interrupted by the return of Captain Connors.

"Time's up, Melrose . Do we have a deal or do I tell the boy what his mother does for a living?"

"That won't be necessary. I'll have Mrs. King give you the note." Billy conceded unhappily.

"Ok ,that's a good start. My big question is , who is Lee, and how did he get the boy out of a hostage situation?"

"Lee is Lee Stetson. He's Mrs. King's partner."

"Stetson and King as in Scarecrow and Mrs. King? You're telling me you knew one of your top operatives is inside and you didn't think I needed to know that?' Connor practically shouted at Billy.

"I didn't know for sure until Jamie confirmed it. Stetson went in there on his own. He and Mrs King are more than just professional partners. I'm sure he just acted to rescue a boy that has become like family to him."

"That may be but my hostage negotiator and the tactical team should be aware that there is an armed operative among the hostages. The decisions they make would be affected by that fact. I just authorized them to-'

Connor's sentence was cut of by gunfire coming from within the building.


	11. Chapter 11

Too Good To Last , chapter 11

The confrontation between Billy and Captain Connors was cut off by the 

sound of gun shots coming from within the museum. The two men stared 

silently at the building for a moment and then Connors turned back to face

Billy.

"Melrose, if any of those hostages have been hurt because you and your

hotshot agent didn't think I needed to know of his involvement in this 

situation I'll personally make you both pay for it." Connors said with barely

controlled fury.

" Stetson is a complete professional. He's been in countless difficult

situations…he can handle himself. He clearly could have left with Jamie

but he chose to stay and protect the other hostages. " Billy defended.

While they were arguing dozens of children began to be rushed from the

museum by police officers wearing the uniforms of the Metro PD tactical

team. Connors rushed towards his men to find out what had happened

inside the building. Billy wanted to follow him but he didn't want to leave Amanda and Jamie alone with their police guard. Billy crossed the street and approached the very worried pair.

"Amanda, you and Jamie should go inside this building until we know this area is safe. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything." Billy urged.

 _I really don't think Amanda will want to go anywhere until she finds out if Lee is okay. I just hope that for Jamie's sake she'll do what I ask. She can't let Jamie know she works for me so she'll have to act like a civilian._

" Thank you, Mr. Melrose. That sounds like a good idea." Amanda responded.

She led Jamie towards the building with their police guard trailing behind them as a surprised Billy watched. _She agreed to that way too easily. She's up to something. Scarecrow is rubbing off on her. I don't know what she'll do if he isn't okay…they're obviously even closer than I thought._ Billy looked up at the sun filled sky and hoped that his best agent and good friend was safe. _I have to go find out and if the news is bad_ \- Billy's thoughts were cut short by the sound of a very familiar voice calling his name. Billy looked across the street and saw a bloody but very much alive Lee waving off the attention of a paramedic.


	12. Chapter 12

Too Good To Last, chapter 12

Billy rushed back across the street, flashed his badge at the officer manning

the police barricade, and ran towards Lee. _Thank heavens he's alright. Now,_

 _I just have to speak to him before Connors' gets to him. I understand why_

 _he did what he did but it could still blow up in all our faces._

Lee's attempt to get to Billy was halted by a second paramedic grabbing

him by the arm. The left side of Lee's shirt was being covered by an

expanding blood stain but he was determined to get to Billy rather than

have his injury treated.

"Let go of me ! I don't have time for this. I need to find my-" Lee was

saying when Billy finally got to him.

" You need to find your family." Billy said to Lee while giving him a look

that made it clear to Lee that he shouldn't even try to deny what Billy was

saying. " They're safe. We need to discuss what went on in there before the

officer in charge here catches up to you."

"If you've been with Amanda and Jamie then you must have read the note. What's the problem ?

It was a complete situation report. Ah well, the first part was , the second part was personal."

Billy turned to the two paramedics who were still trying to get a look at

Lee's increasingly bloody upper arm.

" Will you give us a few minutes and then I guarantee you he will allow you

to treat him ?"

The paramedics walked away and Billy returned to his conversation with Lee.

" I never got the chance to read the note. The police commander refused to

allow Jamie to speak to Amanda in private. Amanda and I were trying to

keep Jamie from finding out what you two do for a living. While I was

trying to make a deal with the captain all hell seemed to break loose in

there."

"Well that explains a lot about what happened in there." a clearly agitated

Lee stated while raking his right hand through his hair. Before Lee could

say anything else he was engulfed in Amanda's arms.

"Oh my gosh! You've been shot. " Amanda exclaimed as she slowly

released her hold on him.

" Not shot, just grazed. And it was by the good guys I might add." Lee said

as he tenderly kissed Amanda. "Where is Jamie ? I want to see him."

"Jamie is fine. He is across the street with a police officer . I told them that

Jamie should find a pay phone and call Mother while I went to the ladies

room. I had to get away from them so that I could come and find you. "

Amanda put her hands on her hips and said in her best mom voice , "Lee,

that is not just a grazing wound…that is a gun shot. Why isn't anyone

treating it?

Billy chuckled at his favorite pair of agents. _I'd better take charge here_

 _before Connors catches up to us. We're all stressed out and I'd like to_

 _prevent Scarecrow and Connors from tangling with each other anymore_

 _than is necessary._

"Amanda, go back to Jamie and have him answer whatever questions the

police have for him. Then take him home…he's had a tough day" , Billy

instructed calmly.

"But Sir, what about Lee? He needs to have his arm treated. " Amanda

stated anxiously.

" Don't worry. His gun shot will be treated. I'll personally see to it." Billy

reassured Amanda. " After that I will stay with him while we get things

settled with Captain Connors. I'll give you two a minute alone to talk but

then we need to get this mess resolved ."

Billy walked away leaving Amanda and Lee alone for the first time since

their fight.


	13. Chapter 13

Too Good To Last , chapter 13

Lee reached out and ran his thumb along Amanda's jaw line as she looked

into his intense hazel eyes and smiled at him shyly. They shared a slow and

tender kiss and then backed up a little from each other while still holding

hands.

"I love you. I'm sorry." they both blurted out at once.

"I don't understand. You have nothing to be sorry about. I've been so awful

to you . Why are you apologizing to me?" Amanda's eyes reflected the

confusion she felt.

"Because the first chance that I got to prove that I'm ready to be part of

your family I screwed it up. I should have taken Jamie out of there myself

not sent him by himself. I couldn't stop thinking about the other kids. There

were so few adults in there and some of them looked more scared than the

kids. The agent in me couldn't just leave and hope that it all turned out

okay." Lee looked down sadly and shook his head.

"Now you wait one minute, Buster. You risked your life to protect Jamie

and you did make sure that he got out safely. Jamie understands why you sent him out alone . You wouldn't be the man that we ALL love and respect

if you hadn't done what you felt you had to do " Amanda concluded.

" I think we need to talk about living like a family all the time but I think

Billy is gonna bust a gut if we stand here talking any longer. You should

take Jamie home and let me go with Billy to work things out with Metro.

I'll call you as soon as he drops me at the apartment."

"No" , Amanda responded to Lee's surprise.

"What do you mean ? I thought you want us to be a family." Lee replied.

" We are a family. When you and Billy are done here I want him to bring

you to the house. You're injured so you should spend tonight with your

family. You can sleep in my bed-"

"Really ? " Lee asked while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Amanda.

"Yes, really. I'll be sleeping on the couch in the family room . We shouldn't sleep in the same bed until the boys think we're married."

"Um, Amanda, we are married" Lee stated feigning impatience.

"We still have to work out how to let the family know about our secrets.

Please be patient a little bit longer " Amanda requested.

"I'll wait as long as it takes. I love you all" Lee answered with the depth of

his feelings obvious in his voice.

"I finally understand that" Amanda answered with a new found sense of

peace concerning all the new directions life was taking her in.


End file.
